On a train in The Netherlands…

End of 1996, armed with a new Sony Discman and the triple album Emancipation by Prince I was travelling by train to … I don’t remember!

But I do remember the album, still my favourite by him.

Jam of the year… not

The Symbol

It’s just one of the many great songs, but I did not quite have the jam of the year then. It was my first Xmas and New Year without my son who was with his father. Daddy’s turn for Xmas. It was also the year of the divorce. How could something you wanted for so long hurt so bad? Prince licked my wounds.

Jam of the year (not great quality – Prince’s people regularly remove good stuff from youtube)

Sex in the summer

Another super, vibey song on this album. Some of them are great sing-alongs and this sure is one of them. The following year, my son and his friends giggled every time I played it. They were almost 10. I think I was cool about these things and preferred to let him watch sexy movies to war movies! Funnily enough, when he was 21 he said my attitude had had repercussions.

I never asked why because he’d always been a very private person. Afterwards I wished I’d said that all 21-year olds are oversexed, because I had a feeling that his girlfriend accused him of being it.

Soul Sanctuary

My favourite track on this album. The entire album was my soul sanctuary then and I will always have fond memories of my discovery of it and how it lightened my load.

Contemporary (not a track)

Prince is it, my contemporary. He does look a lot younger than me, I think, ha ha!

Comments on: "Pleasurable Prince" (1)

I’m not familiar with Emancipation, but I’ve always loved Purple Rain. Prince is one of those guys whose work I’ve always liked, but aren’t too familiar with. He’s a local guy to me, you know… Minnesota guy. Roughly my age, as well.